


The Adventure of the Calamitous Collateral

by methylviolet10b



Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: And also lots of fictitious persons and institutions, Canon-Typical Violence, Case Fic, Gen, Holmes being devious, Period Typical Attitudes, References to real persons and institutions, Watson being stalwart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:54:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24691129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/methylviolet10b/pseuds/methylviolet10b
Summary: A client comes to Holmes hoping to prevent a crime.
Comments: 28
Kudos: 38





	1. An Unusual Client Makes An Unusual Request

**Author's Note:**

> This has been sitting around on my hard drive for a while. It was originally started for a story exchange, but the intended receiver dropped out, so I stopped work on it. I kept thinking about it, though, and eventually decided it wanted to be written after all. There are three chapters, which will be posted weekly. Most unusually for me, there are _no major cliffhangers anywhere to be found_ , so reading chapters as they are posted should not raise any stress levels.
> 
> Those readers familiar with ACD will undoubtedly recognize this as a re-imagination of "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet," which I have always found highly problematic and rather dissatisfying. No familiarity with that story is required to enjoy this.
> 
> Warnings: Period-typical attitudes, including outdated ideas about class and gender. Incidental discussion of Victorian finance and banking, where I have undoubtedly made stupid mistakes. Incidental discussion of Victorian Quaker society, where I have done my best to be accurate and respectful.

In the vast majority of cases where I was privileged to assist Holmes, the initial meeting with prospective clients occurred either in the morning, or late in the afternoon or early evening. It was a rare event indeed that brought a client to Holmes around midday. Inspectors came to us whenever their need arose, and noon was as likely as any other hour. But clients who came to Holmes either by referral or reputation almost always arrived either very early in the morning, driven by their own anxieties, or relatively late, after travel or finishing their own daily business.

It was therefore with some surprise that Holmes and I found ourselves interrupted just after luncheon by the arrival of a visitor. A knock on the sitting-room door was closely followed by the arrival of a young woman, tall and dark-haired, with a mixture of both anxiety and determination on her face. Her outfit was plain, almost severe, yet impeccably made with excellent materials.

“I apologize for disturbing you,” she said in a low voice, “but I am here on a matter of some urgency. I must speak at once with Mr Sherlock Holmes.”

“I am he,” my friend replied, “and your arrival is no disturbance, I assure you. Pray come and take a chair by the fire and tell me what business has brought you to us. This is my friend and colleague, Doctor John Watson, who may also prove helpful to you in your trouble.”

I smiled, hiding the warmth I felt at Holmes’ appellation. He had only recently started referring to me in this way instead of ‘associate’ or ‘fellow-lodger’, as he had used to do.

The young woman advanced but did not immediately take a seat. “I am glad to meet you both. I only hope you can assist me and help prevent a most terrible crime.”

Holmes’ brows rose. “I am usually called upon to help redress a crime, not prevent one. Tell me all.”

“I shall, but you must promise confidentiality. Even the slightest word of this might be the ruin of my uncle.”

“You may rely upon our discretion.”

“Thank you.” The young woman finally sat down with an air of resolution. She happened to choose my usual chair, so I made my own seat on the settee. Holmes took his usual seat by the fireside and steepled his fingers beneath his chin, gazing at his new client with his full attention.

“My name is Mary Sutton. I am the niece of Arthur Sutton, of Sutton and Stephenson, the banking firm. You may have heard of it.”

“Yes, I am familiar with it. A small but highly-respected institution.”

“The reputation of the firm is impeccable. My uncle prides himself upon it, and the business itself depends on it. It is to prevent its loss, as well as forestall a theft of a more ordinary type, that I have come to you today.

“You must understand that I love and honour my uncle as I did my own father and mother while they were alive. Indeed, my uncle is a second father to me. He brought me into his home after the untimely death of my own father, two years after the death of my mother. He has treated me as a beloved daughter in every way. I am his sounding board for his business and family concerns.”

Holmes tilted his head. “Unusual, though I am aware that the Society of Friends is rather more egalitarian in their views of women’s work than is generally common.”

Miss Sutton glanced down at herself. “I see my manner of dress has given me away to you. Yes, this is so. My mother was as involved in the business of the bank as my father, and they both raised me to it. It had been my father’s habit to discuss matters with me, particularly after my mother’s death. I suppose I entered my uncle’s household with no understanding that things could be otherwise. My uncle, good man that he is, expressed nothing but delight in my ability and willingness to involve myself, even though I realize now it must have cost him not a few moments of pain and regret.”

“How so?”

“Because my cousin Percival, my uncle’s son and only child, does not have a talent for the business himself.” Miss Sutton’s face grew wistful. “Percy is intelligent in his own sphere, but numbers frustrate him, not delight him. He was born to be a writer or in the arts, not a financier. He has no interest in the bank and no ability to run the business even if he did.” She shook her head. “It has been the source of much frustration and friction between my uncle and my cousin. My uncle loves Percy and Percy loves him, but they do not understand each other at all.”

“Is this somehow related to the crime you wish us to prevent?” The question might have sounded dismissive, but the way Holmes steepled his fingers beneath his chin and leaned forward showed his interest.

“You must understand the nature of our household if you are to have any chance of success. It is this fundamental disharmony that gave Sir George Flamborough the opportunity to insinuate himself with both Percy and my uncle.”

“The name is not unknown to me, although I have never met him personally,” Holmes remarked. “A clubman who likes to gamble for considerable sums and has entrée to the highest levels of society.”

“He does,” Miss Sutton agreed, “and to our much humbler house as well. He is fifteen years older than Percy. At first appearance he is entirely respectable. He is a gifted speaker, well-educated, a much-travelled man of the world. He is distinguished-looking and considered quite handsome, at least by our parlour-maid.”

“You do not find him so?”

“Outwardly he has great personal beauty. I am not blind to it. But a man who can convince a younger man that he is his bosom friend for all pleasures while at the same time convincing his father that he is just the sober, steadying influence his son needs? He is at best disingenuous to a dangerous degree. I do not trust him, although I have nothing more than my intuition to guide me in this. Which is partly why my uncle’s story over today’s luncheon was so disturbing that I came at once to you.”

Holmes settled back slightly in his chair. “Now we come to the heart of the matter. Pray continue.”

“My uncle returns home for luncheon almost every day. He often tells me about the business and any interesting events. Today he was particularly animated about a client he had met with just this morning. You may or may not know that a successful banking business as much depends upon being able to find remunerative investments for funds as upon the number and financial depth of depositors. One of the bank’s most lucrative means of laying out money is in the shape of loans where the security is unimpeachable. My uncle and his partner have done a good deal in this direction during the last few years, which has greatly improved the bank’s reputation and business. There are many noble families to whom they have advanced large sums upon the security of their pictures, jewels, or plate. But this latest client who wished to avail himself of a loan in return for security…” She paused and shook her head. “My uncle would not name him, not even to me. He simply said that his was ‘a name which is a household word all over the earth--one of the highest, noblest, most exalted names in England.’ Sir George had recommended my uncle’s bank to this worthy gentleman, or so my uncle related. He wanted the immediate loan of sixty thousand pounds.”

I could not hide my astonishment at hearing such a sum. I believe I even made a noise. Holmes himself showed no sign of surprise, but his eyebrows did rise a little.

“It is not the first time the bank has loaned such an amount,” Miss Sutton said with some sympathy in her expression – whether for my astonishment or my ignorance of matters of high finance was impossible to tell. “Indeed, it is far from the largest personal loan the bank has made. And the security offered is unquestionably worth at least double that amount: the Lotus Circlet.”

I did not recognize the name, but Holmes clearly did, and showed all the astonishment he had failed to display earlier. “One of the great treasures of the Empire,” he said, “and like all the great jewels and riches, not without its own troubled history in crime.” His brows drew down. “And to be able to offer up one of the Empire’s treasures as security…”

“Yes,” Miss Sutton agreed when Holmes did not finish his sentence. “It says a great deal about the identity of the borrower. I can only guess, but I am sure you, with your abilities, could learn who he is with little effort. But if it was this alone, I should not have come to you. No, it is the absurd ‘security precautions’ that were suggested – and that my uncle, alas, agreed to – that have truly alarmed me.”

“And what may they be? I would expect such a treasure to remain locked within the bank’s most secure vault. Did the borrower demand hiring on additional security staff, unknown guards?”

“Quite the contrary. He filled my uncle’s ears with tales of bank safes being cracked and robbed, and even vaults proving all too vulnerable to the clever thief and to the industrious tunneler. He admitted that he had not been as discreet in discussing his predicament, and his intent to seek financial relief and with what security, as he perhaps should have been. He said that he was certain that at least half-a dozen people knew of his intentions to leave the Lotus Circlet with my uncle’s bank. Regrettably, several of them were not known for holding their tongues, and so it was likely half of London would know its location before the circlet is due to be redeemed. He could not believe the bank was safe enough with such publicity as might arise. In short, he made my uncle promise that he would keep the circlet with him at all times and not leave it alone at the bank.”

I started in my chair. “That is very foolish,” I said before I could think better of it.

Fortunately Miss Sutton did not take offense. “Indeed it is, but my uncle gave his word. He will not go back on it, no matter how fearful he is, or how much he now wishes he had not made so rash a promise. Nor could I persuade him to arrange to be escorted to and from the bank by some of the guards that work there. He insisted that such a change would attract too much attention. No, he is determined to go about his daily routines exactly as he always does. When he leaves the bank, the circlet shall go home with him to stay in his bedroom safe until he carries it back.”

“I see why you have come to me in such haste. You wish for me to dog his heels and watch over him, to prevent any attacks or attempts at theft.”

“Can you doubt that such an attempt will be made?” she cried. “The strangeness of the requirements – the absurdity that the circlet would be safer in the keeping of a sedentary older man than in a guarded steel vault – what other conclusion could be drawn?”

“And you suspect the hand of Flamborough behind it all.”

Miss Sutton went still. “I have no proof of it,” she said at last. “But he recommended this client to my uncle. He knows my uncle’s weaknesses. And he knows the household well, too well. If there is a plot, if there is a mind directing matters behind the scenes, I must assume it would be his.”

“But there is another potential culprit, one that you wish to protect.”

If possible, Miss Sutton became even more rigid in her seat. “I knew of your powers, your ability to see what others have overlooked. Indeed, it is why I came. Yet I never understood how frightening that could be until now.” She sighed and grasped her hands tightly together in her lap. “Yes, Mr Holmes. I told you that Percival is an intelligent man, and so he is. I also told you that he has no head for figures. And I know, for he regularly brings it up with my uncle, and has confided in me, that he is greatly in debt. He plays cards and makes wagers, and has little success with either.” She bowed her head and examined her clasped hands for a long moment before raising her chin and looking defiantly at Holmes. “I cannot rule out the possibility that he might be involved. Yet he is family, and like his father in his fundamentals. I cannot believe either man would knowingly do great wrong. They are both capable of being led into folly, but into deceit and theft? I do not believe it of either of them. Nor do I think Percy capable of hurting his father so badly, as he must be hurt if such villainy came to light.” She paused, and a muscle in her jaw rippled before she spoke again. “But what I believe does not matter. What matters is that the circlet must not be stolen or harmed. My uncle’s reputation, and the reputation of the bank, must remain intact and irreproachable. That is why I have come to you.”

“Your uncle does not know you have come.”

“Indeed not, and he would be furious if he knew. Will be furious, I suppose, since I don’t think it likely that my hiring you can be kept secret, not if you are to be as effective as you need to be. But that, too, cannot matter in the greater scheme of things.” She nodded again, briskly, this time seemingly to herself. “I have money of my own, Mr Holmes. I can pay your fee. I can weather the storm of my uncle’s disapproval. Please, help me. Help us.”

Holmes drew himself upright in his chair. “I will. And I shall preserve your anonymity if I can.”

“But not at all costs,” Miss Sutton agreed, understanding Holmes’ words as the offer they were. “The circlet, and my uncle’s reputation, must come before all else.” She rose from her seat. “Thank you, Mr Holmes. Now I must return home before my absence grows long enough to be remarkable.”

“And if I need to get word to you, is there an unremarkable method?”

Miss Sutton smiled. “Send it in a letter, and make the return address the Liverpool Astronomical Society. The household is well used to my astronomical correspondence. It will raise no notice.”

“An interesting young lady,” Holmes remarked after she had left us. “And a very interesting matter. She has told us much, yet I think there is even more to this affair than she says. It is just as well she came to us. The loss of the circlet – and the scandal it would cause for the family responsible for its care, should that ever come to light – could have repercussions that might shake the Empire.”

Holmes looked grave. It was clear to me that he had already seen more to this case than was apparent to me. “What do you intend to do?”

“For the moment, scout the route Sutton walks between his bank and his home, and look for the most likely spots for an ambush,” Holmes said, rising from his seat. “And then… then I believe I shall arrange one.” My friend’s eyes twinkled, and an impish grin curved his lips. “Watson, I believe you might fancy a walk for exercise’s sake this afternoon. You might find it refreshing to partake of a pint after your exertions.”

I felt my lips quirk upwards in an answering smile. “Where shall I station myself?”


	2. Direction and Misdirection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holmes arranges an unusual introduction. Watson offers a more usual one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Shenanigans, dubious and more dubious.

It went off almost exactly as Holmes had planned. I finished my pint at the prescribed time, left the establishment, and walked a block, my medical bag in my hand. I turned the corner and found a scene before me. A portly older gentleman leaned heavily against one wall of a building on the narrow street, clutching a small portmanteau to his chest with both hands. Two young toughs lurked menacingly, baulked at least momentarily by an elderly but stern priest standing firmly between them and their intended victim.

I rushed forwards at the same time a respectable-looking tradesman came out from a door onto the small street and saw what was happening. He raised a shout, and the toughs, not liking their odds, beat a hasty retreat.

I hurried to the side of the gentleman leaning against the wall. “My dear sir, are you all right? Have you taken any hurts? My name is Doctor John Watson, and I would be glad to assist you.”

The man blinked dazedly. “I…I…I am not hurt. I think. I…I…just…”

“Your nerves are badly shaken, and no wonder – a brazen attack in public is shocking to me, much less to the person who directly experienced it. Let me see you home, at the very least, and then you can call your own physician.”

There was a brief hesitation, and then he nodded. “You are very kind. I am Arthur Sutton, and I am glad to make your acquaintance, Doctor. My home is not far distant.” He gave me his address, and I offered him my arm. He leaned on me quite heavily at first, but gradually grew more confident in his progress. By the time we reached his home, he was still using my arm for support, but lightly, more for comfort than stability.

The maid made quite an outcry when she saw her master entering the house looking distressed, disheveled, and on the arm of a stranger. The commotion quickly drew other members of the household, including Miss Sutton. Not a single sign betrayed that she had ever seen me before. She did encourage her uncle to take advantage of my offer to attend him and make sure he had taken no lasting harm from his adventure, but in such a kind, daughterly way that I attributed it more to household habit than any extraordinary skill in acting.

Mr Sutton had sustained some minor bruising on his shoulder where he had been shoved against the wall, and his wrist showed some mild swelling, although whether it was from holding on to his portmanteau or from a knock against the same wall was difficult to discern. I rubbed arnica on the sore places and prescribed him a glass of brandy for his nerves. After a few sips, he grew calmer and more garrulous. It wasn’t long before he turned to Miss Sutton. “Oh, Mary,” he sighed. “How right you were in your advice to me, and your warning. I should have engaged one of the bank guards to escort me home. How I wish I had never taken on this burden!”

“My dear uncle, I am simply glad you are all right.” Miss Sutton lay one hand affectionately on her uncle’s shoulder.

I saw my opportunity and seized it. “My dear sir, forgive me, for I know it is none of my business, but you sound as if you have been afflicted with some strange trouble. As it happens, the man with whom I share lodgings makes a specialty out of helping people with unusual problems. You might have heard of him by name and reputation: Mr Sherlock Holmes.”

Mr Sutton gasped. “Yes, I have heard of him. He has helped some of the most illustrious in Europe.”

“I would be glad to furnish you with an introduction if you desire it. My friend might be able to help you, as he has helped so many others who have found themselves in strange difficulties.”

The banker initially expressed reluctance, but even I could tell that it was more from an ingrained sense of propriety than from any true disinclination. Indeed, it took very little persuasion from Miss Sutton to convince her uncle to pursue the course he really wanted to take. He left the house in my company, in all haste, to see Mr Sherlock Holmes. By the time we reached 221B Baker Street, he was practically beside himself with a combination of anticipation and anxiety.

Holmes was in his usual chair when we arrived, a dressing-gown negligently draped over his clothes. In no way was it possible to tell that a short time ago he had been in disguise as the elderly priest who had stood between Mr Sutton and the ‘street toughs’ who had threatened him. Over the course of the next half-hour Mr Sutton unburdened himself of his entire story, including praise for his niece Mary and sharing a rather more dubious opinion of his son Percival than she had recounted to us. He even showed us the Lotus Circlet, which he had brought with him in the selfsame bag he had clutched so desperately to his chest in the street where I had encountered him.

It was an amazing thing, glittering in the gaslight like embers and stars. The rubies were large and exceptionally fine, and the diamonds surrounding them, although small in comparison, blazed all the more brightly when contrasted with the larger gems’ blood-red glow. It was easy to understand why such a thing was considered one of the great treasures of the Empire. Which made it more difficult to understand how it could have been placed, however temporarily, as collateral, particularly in such a bizarre fashion and with such risky conditions.

“Mr Sutton, I can only think it is extraordinarily fortunate that circumstances brought you to my door today,” Holmes told him, his voice grave. “I may be able to help you, but you must be willing to place yourself entirely in my hands. I fear the gravest consequences may befall you and your bank if you do not follow my guidance to the letter. If you do, I believe I can help you see your way clear of this matter with your honour, the honour of your bank, and the Lotus Circlet intact.”

“I cannot tell you how relieved I am to have your assistance. I will do whatever you ask if it lies within my ability to do it.”

“Then we are agreed. We will escort you home, Mr Sutton. Doctor Watson will remain with you throughout the early evening. I too will remain with you for a time, but I expect I shall need to go out and make a few inquiries at some point. But never fear, I will return as soon as I am able.”

Holmes disappeared into his bedroom long enough to exchange his dressing-gown for a coat. He returned with a discreet black case with a sturdy handle and a hidden strap that could be secured around the wrist for additional safety. “I thought this might be a more suitable way for you to carry the circlet,” said he, demonstrating the wrist catch on the case. “It is extremely unlikely that anyone will attempt anything against you while Watson and I escort you home, but you might feel more confident knowing that no one could snatch the case out of your hand. Nor could you accidentally drop it, or have it jostled loose in a crowd.”

“I should indeed,” Mr Sutton said with a great sigh. “Thank you, Mr Holmes. I appreciate your thoughtfulness. How I wish this burden had never fallen to me – but to decline, it was equally unthinkable…” He shook his head violently before settling down and transferring the circlet from his portmanteau to the case.

“I’ll carry the other for you,” Holmes offered. “It is a handsome bag, and I’m sure you’ll want it at home.”

Nothing untoward occurred on the journey to Mr Sutton’s house. Once there, Holmes asked Miss Sutton to show him around the house. He also requested that Mr Sutton remain in the parlour while I kept him company. Sutton agreed, looking rather glad to have the excuse to remain in his chair with his glass of brandy. He looked notably less glad when a young man joined us. It was not difficult to guess that this was his son, Percival Sutton. He was a quietly handsome young man, taller and much more slender than his father. The sharp blue eyes of the banker were softened in the son to a dreamy blue-green. I noticed those eyes linger on Sutton’s portmanteau that Holmes had left on the floor next to the banker’s chair.

Sutton introduced us, confirming that this was indeed his son. The young man greeted me politely enough, but it soon became clear that he wanted a private conversation with his parent, and that I was decidedly in the way. I had no intention of relinquishing my ground; Holmes had indicated that I should stay with Sutton, and so stay I would. I did my best to seem oblivious to the son’s hints that I might safely leave his father in the hands of his family, or that perhaps it might be best if his regular physician was called, and that I return to my home in the meantime for a well-deserved rest.

The father was not so patient. “No, no. I am deeply grateful for Doctor Watson’s services, both what he has done for me thus far, and for his offer to keep me company this evening. There is no need to disturb Doctor Rhyder. I am in the best of hands. And don’t think I can’t see through your reasoning for sending Doctor Watson home and summoning someone else. You wish to speak to me alone, but I tell you now that it would not matter if we were alone or if there were a hundred people in the room. I know what you would say, and my answer would be the same regardless. No.”

Percival flushed deeply but squared his shoulders. “So I must speak to you regardless of company, in front of a stranger, for my needs have not changed. My debts are most pressing.”

“Then you should not have incurred them.”

“Father, I had no intention of doing so. It was a wager, for sport. It just went badly for me.”

“As it always seems to do. This has happened many times. You do not seem to learn from it. I told you the last time that I would not advance you money again. I know you likely did not believe me, for I have always been an indulgent parent to you – too much so, I know. That is my fault, not yours, but your fault springs from my weakness, and so I must amend both as best I can. So no, my son. A banker does not lend capital without security, and you have no credit left upon which to draw.”

Percival’s cheeks turned an even darker shade of red, but he bowed curtly. “Then you are correct, and we have nothing to discuss. Good night, Father.” He withdrew in haste.

“I regret subjecting you to such a scene,” Mr Sutton apologized after his son left the room. He passed one hand over his face and suddenly looked very tired. “You must think us very ill-mannered. But I have indulged him too long. He looks very like his mother, who died when he was very young. My wife was a most wonderful woman. I miss her every day. In my grief and loneliness I have loved and cherished our son all the more profoundly, but not wisely. I have rarely said no to him. Now he has grown quite wild, with friends who have deeper pocketbooks and ruinous habits. I must try to restrain him, put his feet back on the right path, no matter how awkward or humiliating it might be for both of us.”

“I am sorry for your trouble.” I was also deeply uncomfortable at having witnessed such a scene, but I did my best to hide it. “I am sure your son loves you deeply, as much as you love him. He must recognize that you are only doing what you must, and that you wish him nothing but good.” I did not add the painful knowledge of my own experience, at how overindulgence of my brother, the favoured first son, had led to the selfish, wretched man he had become. But then again, to the best of my knowledge my father had never tried to amend Harry’s ways as Mr Sutton was attempting to do with Percival. Maybe that would make all the difference. I could only hope so, for both their sakes.

Holmes returned before the situation could grow any more awkward. “You have an admirably run household,” he remarked. “Miss Sutton is instructing the housekeeper, the maid, and your manservant to take special care after your unpleasant encounter today, so that your nerves have a chance to rest and recover.”

“It is a kind thought, and just like my dear girl to take such matters into her own hands. But for all her good will, I doubt I shall have a peaceful evening, not while…”

“Yes.” Holmes interrupted before the banker could finish. “Quite understandable. I have some thoughts about that, but I should prefer to discuss them with you in private. And perhaps you might show me where you intend to, hm, secure things.”

“Oh! Oh, yes, of course. My bedroom and dressing room are upstairs. Let me show you.” Mr Sutton set down his now-empty brandy glass and rose to his feet.

The banker’s bedroom was surprisingly modest for a man of his wealth. The furnishings were well-made but plain, the decorations few and more homely than anything else: a simple willow-ware pitcher and basin, a framed but faded cross-stich sampler on one wall between amateur paintings, a piecework blanket over the bed. Only the large photograph on the table beside the bed of a younger Sutton and a woman who must have been his wife spoke of any expense. That, and the safe in Sutton’s dressing-room. I recognized the name of the maker in gilt letters on its door, and even Holmes eyed it with something close to respect. But as we both knew, a safe is no guarantee of safety, particularly not when it became clear that Mr Sutton was not the only one who knew its combination. Holmes said nothing as he watched Sutton put the case Holmes had given him into the safe and close the door upon it, but his expression spoke volumes to me.

“I strongly recommend that you continue to use that case, and not this usual one, when you travel to and from the bank,” Holmes said, setting the portmanteau on a shelf to one side. “It is sturdier and more secure. I also recommend that you send a message to the bank in the morning and have one of the security men come here and escort you to the bank.”

“I shall, I promise.”

“I would be glad to stay the night, keep watch…”

Sutton shook his head before my friend could finish. “No, that would attract too much attention. I thank you for the offer, but I think I need have no fears for it until I must take it out of this safe in in the morning.”

Holmes shrugged. “Then we shall wish you a good evening and leave you to your rest. Send word to me by wire or messenger at any time, and I shall come at once.”

“We’re not really leaving him alone,” I said more than asked after we had collected my doctor’s bag and left the house.

“Of course not. I have several of the Irregulars watching the house at this very moment. I do not expect anything to occur until after the household has gone to bed, which should be several hours from now. But before we take up our watch, we must first return to Baker Street.”

“Why?”

“Because the Lotus Circlet is currently sitting inside your Gladstone, and I want to secure it before we continue tonight’s adventures.”

It was only through long exposure to my friend’s habits that I was able to keep a calm demeanour in response to this pronouncement. “You switched it out from the case you gave him while we were sitting in Sutton’s parlour?” I guessed.

“No, it was a little more convoluted than that. Let’s just say that the circlet was never quite where Mr Sutton thought it was from the time he last saw it in Baker Street.”

I thought about that for a minute. “You could have secured it then, before we left. But you kept it nearby in case Sutton decided to open the case.”

Holmes gave me a quick smile. “Indeed, that was my reasoning.”

“Then by the same logic, you might need it nearby tonight.”

“Possibly, but there might be every advantage in having it ‘missing’, too. And I shall feel rather more confident with it secured against any possible damage or mishaps in a scuffle.”

“So you anticipate an attempt and a confrontation of some kind.”

Holmes’ smile returned and lingered. “My dear Watson, I anticipate nothing; I merely read the likelihood of certain events from the data before me. Do be sure to bring your revolver with you.”

By which Holmes meant that he was fairly certain of an eventful evening, no matter how much he kept the chain of reasoning to himself. I nodded, knowing that he already knew that I would bring both my revolver and my doctor’s bag – minus the Lotus Circlet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 originally posted June 18, 2020.


	3. Treasures Won and Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actions lead to consequences, but do the punishments fit the crimes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Passing mention of a real institution and a real person, and a fictitious relative for said real person.

Within the hour we were back in the vicinity of Sutton’s house. Holmes led me around the back of the house to a sheltered spot where we could wait and watch. The path up to the back door was in plain view, as were nearly all the first-floor windows, but our watching post was in deep enough shadow that we were unlikely to be seen. I wondered how Holmes had discovered this spot, but the question would have to wait. By necessity our vigil must be a silent one.

We saw the lights of the house gradually go out as the household retired for the night. Not knowing where a threat might come from, or which room belonged to Sutton, I tried to keep alert for changes in any direction. Holmes seemed to be paying attention to nothing in particular, but I could feel the tension in him, like a cat waiting by a mousehole.

Time passed. It was a mild night, but a dark one. I heard the back gate open and sensed rather than saw someone coming up the path. Holmes’ hand gripped my forearm in a silent message: remain still and let the intruder pass. I did so, straining every sense.

A dim light came from the house. Someone had opened the back door and was waiting, a shielded lantern held in one hand. Even at a distance I could see that it was Percival Sutton. His pale face and lithe figure were distinct even in the scant light. He peered out into the darkness and seemed to recognize the figure approaching the house. His stance relaxed. As the other approached, I could make out enough details to see that it was another man, although I could not see his face.

The two men met in front of the open door. Their voices were too low for me to make out their conversation, but from the very beginning it seemed intense. Suddenly the other man lunged and grabbed at Percival. The young man wrestled with him, only to be thrown back violently against the wall of the house. He slumped down as the man sprinted away, back down the path.

“Watson!” Holmes’ voice was little more than a breath. He only said my name, but I knew what was wanted. I lunged forward and brought down the man in a rugby tackle. The man tried to eel away at the last moment but was not quite quick enough. Holmes was right behind me, helping pin the man after we crashed to the ground.

The force of the landing knocked the wind from our captive. I heard the distinct whoop of escaping air and felt him shudder. He managed to struggle nonetheless, but fruitlessly.

“I have him,” Holmes assured me as he secured the fellow’s wrists. “You had best see to Sutton the younger.

I hurried over to where the young man was slumped against the wall. He was clearly dazed and needed my help to rise. Once he was on his feet, however, he seemed to come back to himself. “Thank you,” he whispered. He did not seem to recognize me. “Where is – it’s gone!” He looked around frantically and saw Holmes approaching with his staggering, vaguely struggling prisoner. “George! What have you done with it? I demand you return it at once!”

The handsome face of Holmes’ prisoner twisted in disgust. “I have no idea what you mean, Percival. Or is this assault your attempt to renege on the debt you owe me? I shouldn’t have thought it of you, but class will out, and your sort will do anything for money, won’t you?”

I just managed to stop Percival from trying to lunge at the other man. “Easy. You’re not ready yet for such vigorous movement.”

“I do not think you have much ground to stand on, Sir George Flamborough, seeing as you have just assaulted a young man in his home,” Holmes said quietly.

The man Holmes held stiffened. “I see I am known to you, although I cannot imagine how. Nor can it matter in the slightest. I may have handled him a bit roughly, but I was only claiming what I was owed.”

“It is not yours!” If he had been capable of it, Percival would have lashed out physically at Sir George. As it was, his blazing indignation was palpable even as he sagged against my support.

“Oh the contrary, I have every right to it. I even have papers…”

“To what do you claim to have a right?” Holmes interrupted. “The contents of this case, perhaps?” He held up the very same case we had seen Sutton place inside his safe.

“Yes, that is correct,” Sir George replied coolly as Percival swore.

“If it is yours, you can easily tell me its contents.”

“Naturally. It contains a tiara of ruby and diamonds.”

“You filthy liar!” Percival groaned.

“Liar indeed,” Holmes said, opening the case one-handed with ease. A sparkling necklace fell to the ground. “That is no tiara, and you, sir, are a thief and a villain, proven so by your own words as well as your actions.”

Percival gasped, gawked, and then the young man’s eyes rolled backwards in his head. I caught him as he fainted away.

The next few minutes were busy ones for me, tending the unfortunate Percy Sutton. At first I feared that he had been hurt worse than I had thought by his fall against the wall. But there was no swelling or cut on his head, and his pupils and pulse told me that it was shock and fright, not injury, that had induced the swoon. Holmes joined me just after I had propped him up and was searching in my bag for spirits of ammonia.

“Here, I’ll hold him. You find what you need.”

“Where’s Sir George?” Even distracted with a patient, I could hardly miss the fact that Holmes was alone. There was no sign of his former prisoner.

“He has slunk back into the shadows where he belongs. He shall not be seen here again. I made Sir George see the gravity of his situation. He was in the plot to defraud the bank up to his neck. I know it as well as if I had been standing there, and he knows that I know all about that business as well as being a witness to the attempted assault and theft. Should word of his ill-dealings here get out he would be a ruined man, and he knows it. He shall not say a word. I forced him to write a note forgiving Percival’s debt, and I believe that in exchange for it, young Percival can be convinced to be equally quiet about the matter.”

“So it was fraud, and not just a theft of opportunity?”

“Yes. An opportunity crafted and arranged by Sir George and his nobly-born, but not so nobly-behaved, patron. The intent was always to steal back the Lotus Circlet and force the bank to pay for its ‘loss’. I suspect ruining Sutton, or at the very least placing him in great difficulty and rendering him a puppet, was also part of their intent. Whether they also intended to drive a further wedge between father and son, well, that is impossible to say. The outcome of that particular part of their plot is as yet uncertain.”

The spirits of ammonia did their work, and Percival began to rouse. He remained unsteady, and we had to help him into the house. Once in the parlour and with a bit of brandy inside him, he became more animated. It never occurred to him to wonder what Holmes and I were doing there. Perhaps it was lingering shock, or perhaps it was an assumption that because his father had hired our help we would be at hand when needed like a particularly adept servant. Fortunately, if it was the latter, he was not inclined to treat us as such, or to dismiss Holmes’ advice and guidance, particularly when he disclosed the signed note from Sir George renouncing the debt.

“That’s capital,” he enthused, staring at the note with a dazed grin. “Maybe that rotter has a decent bone in him somewhere after all. He only said he wanted a look at it; promised to give me more time on my note if I did. I never dreamed he’d try to nick it. Well, it’s all come out all right in the end, I suppose. I won’t have to marry Mary now.”

“I beg your pardon?” I couldn’t help ask at the non sequitur.

Holmes, however, nodded as if this answered some lingering question he had held about the case. “You intended to ask your cousin for her hand if you had not been able to repay your debt any other way?”

“Yes, of course. Mary’s nice enough, and she’s got a fortune of her own, you know, the bulk of my uncle’s estate. My father holds it in trust for her until she marries or comes of age. I’ve always known I could ask for her hand if it came to it. My father’s keen enough on the idea, but I’d rather not marry yet if I have a choice in the matter.” His smile changed, becoming self-deprecating. “I think I’ve just proved that I’m neither wise enough nor steady enough to make a good husband or take charge of a household. I’ve been foolish, and been played the fool, that’s clear enough.” He sobered. “I never meant to cause Father any trouble, much less risk any harm to him, but I’ve done both. And if the circlet’s lost there is no way I can make it up to him. We shall be ruined, and I shall be the cause of it.”

“Do not lose hope just yet,” Holmes advised him. “The night is not yet over, and all may come well before dawn.”

“But the circlet is missing from its case! And the necklace – I did not get a good look at it, but that must be some other collateral of Father’s business. That too must be recovered.”

“Leave it to me,” Holmes reassured him. “Say nothing of this to your father but go to bed quietly. He has had many shocks today, and you must prevent him from yet another if you can. I believe I know the whereabouts of everything. I shall return by morning, and with any luck I shall have everything in my possession.”

I nodded reassuringly. It was easy enough to do, for I had seen Holmes stash the case just beside the door, and the circlet was safe at Baker Street.

“What is that necklace, and why did you have it in the case?” I asked Holmes as we made our way homewards.

“A relic of another case. It’s a most convincing piece of fakery. It could be called costume jewellery, I suppose, but it was made up to exacting standards, and very few people can tell with the naked eye that it isn’t the real thing. I placed it in the case in lieu of the circlet on the minor chance that Sutton would open it before putting it into the safe for the night. If the necklace was genuine, its worth would be equal collateral, which would have reassured him as to my honesty. And the distraction would have been such that I could have produced the Lotus Circlet without much difficulty or with his being the wiser from whence it came.”

I was unable to accompany Holmes to the Sutton household the next morning. A patient required my attention shortly before dawn. I did not return to Baker Street until nearly midday. I found Holmes fully dressed, seated at the table, with Mrs Hudson just bringing up a luncheon tray. She promised to bring up additional food and dishes at once.

“Sit down and begin. You look famished, and I am happy to wait,” Holmes told me kindly.

I took him at his word, for I was indeed very hungry. I had eaten nothing thus far that day. “I take it all went well with Sutton?”

“Yes, the Lotus Circlet is safely back at the bank, and Mr Sutton has wisely resolved that a promise made in bad faith is no reason to act foolishly. The circlet shall remain in the bank’s vault until it is redeemed. I’ll tell you all about it over our meal. And here comes Mrs Hudson now.” A slight frown creased his brow. “I am mistaken. That is not her step.”

A moment later Miss Sutton hurried into the room, her face alight with curiosity. “I received your message, Mr Holmes, and came as soon as I could get away. You have news?”

“Indeed. Please join us for lunch – I can see that you have forgone your own meal – and I will tell you what I have learned.”

Our table was not spacious, but it was not the first time it had seen three diners. Mrs Hudson’s fare was plentiful and excellent. Miss Sutton hardly remembered to eat as she listened in astonishment to Holmes as he related the events of the prior evening. He confirmed her all-too-well founded suspicions about Sir George Flamborough, and delicately explained Percival’s involvement in the plot. He did omit a few slight details such as where exactly the circlet had been last night, and therefore any mention of how he had managed to return it. He was otherwise very candid, moreso than was his usual habit with female clients. Then again, few of them had shown the perspicacity and fortitude that she had demonstrated. He was, after all, essentially confirming the theory she herself had formed.

“You know that I had suspected something of the sort,” she said in a grave, calm voice. “All the same, it is difficult to hear this of my cousin. Sir George’s ill character and treachery does not surprise me, but that my cousin should have been led so far astray…”

“He was more of a dupe than anything else.” Which was true as far as I knew, but I knew as soon as I said it that it did not excuse him. “And he seemed to realize last night that he has been a fool and was determined to do better in the future.”

Miss Sutton shook her head. “I’m sure that he means to do so. But he had no business taking the circlet from my uncle’s safe. He was raised in our faith and should need no further instruction as to what is right. His principles should have been strong enough to keep him from doing such a thing. This experience may make him a wiser man, but I’m not sure it can make him a better one.”

Holmes frowned slightly and remained silent for long enough that Miss Sutton started to look concerned. At last he spoke. “You are my client. I know you hired me on behalf of your uncle, but your welfare must be paramount in my consideration. You have made your feelings about your cousin plain, and indeed, I cannot refute your analysis of him. As such, it is my duty to warn you that your cousin sees you, and your dowry, as his for the asking. He also believes that he has the support of your uncle in such an endeavour.”

I could tell that Holmes was extremely uncomfortable in saying what he did. He disliked emotional scenes, and often declared the female mind to be the one true unsolvable mystery in the world. That he would venture it anyway spoke both of his own deep sense of responsibility towards his clients, and of the high degree of respect in which he held this particular one.

Miss Sutton’s lips quirked oddly to one side, but she simply nodded. “I am aware that my cousin is inclined to think of me as a resource of last resort. My uncle has certainly made no secret of the fact that he believes me a good influence on my cousin, and that I might be the making of him should we marry. He would certainly approve such a match if my cousin proposed it to him. Indeed, I believe my uncle has urged it upon him, and only my cousin’s love of his independence has prevented it thus far. Well, that and a lack of any real feeling for me. But I must not count on that in the future.”

“You sound as if you have planned for this,” Holmes remarked, his keen eyes studying Miss Sutton’s face.

She smiled. “Yes I have. There are not many options to women of my class outside of the home, as I’m sure you know. However, my faith offers more possibilities to women than most, both in education and in work. I have a distant cousin, Miss Elizabeth Brown, who has her own observatory. She is doing important work in her speciality and is a prominent member of the Liverpool Astronomical Society. I have been in regular communication with her for over a year. She has spoken to me several times of her need for an assistant, and I know I am qualified. I wrote to her yesterday at the beginning of this affair to apply for the post. Between the family connection and her knowledge of my work, I am reasonably confident that she will accept me.” Her smile dimmed. “I shall be sad to leave my uncle, but I believe it will be for the best. I do not think he will stand in my way. He knows I love my work as he loves his.”

Holmes nodded. “I wish you every success. I shall keep an eye out for your publications in the journal of your astronomical society.”

Miss Sutton’s smile returned fully, and she beamed at both of us as she made her farewells.

Holmes remained in contemplative silence long after Miss Sutton’s departure. It was quite unlike the successful post-case enthusiasm he had displayed before her arrival, but fortunately nothing like the onset of one of his post-case black moods. He seemed preoccupied, if anything, even after I had coaxed him into explaining how he’d returned the circlet under Sutton’s nose, including Percy’s ill-concealed guilt and relief.

It was not until evening that Holmes spoke of the case again. We sat by the fire, pipes and spirits to hand. “I cannot consider this case to be a complete success,” he said at last.

“However not?”

My astonishment made Holmes smile briefly. “Oh, as far material concerns are measured it was entirely successful. The Suttons have retained their reputation and the name of their bank remains unsullied. The Lotus Circlet shall return to the hands of its nominal guardian, unworthy as he is. I suspect he will find a rather closer watch on him than formerly, and he may find himself relieved of the guardianship of the circlet as well as other items.”

“Your doing?” I hazarded.

“I may have placed a word or two into the ears of those who have the influence to be heard, and the judgment to be listened to,” Holmes agreed. “Nothing will ever become public. Nothing can or will be traced to the Suttons themselves. But treasures of the Empire such as this must be more carefully held, if only to avoid public scandal and the loss of confidence.”

“That’s as well. I hate to think of that rascal Sir George Flamborough going unpunished, though.”

Holmes shook his head. “You’re wrong there, Watson. His misdeeds were unsuccessful, which puts him beyond the purview of the law, it’s true. But he not only failed his noble patron, he was caught and recognized for what he was attempting to do. Such a failure is unlikely to be tolerated. Sir George will find himself much less welcomed in the higher levels of society to which he has become accustomed. Doors that have been open to him will be closed. Without such access he cannot support himself in his current lifestyle. And that, my dear Watson, is as thorough a punishment for a man of his sort than can be conceived.”

I could not help scoffing at that. “I still say he deserves a thrashing along with losing his status in society.”

“A sound thrashing would not go amiss, I grant you. For that matter, one is owed the Suttons, father and son.”

“Oh?” I sensed that this was finally the root of Holmes’ disquiet. “Is that why you do not consider this case entirely successful? That they go unpunished?”

Holmes nodded thoughtfully. “And that Miss Sutton herself is as punished as they are, if in a different way. I did everything Miss Sutton asked. Yet I cannot help but feel that I failed her. She cannot remain in her own home.”

“No, she cannot,” I agreed gently. “But that is through no fault of yours. You could not change the father or the son, or make her place in that household less vulnerable to their assumptions as to her worth. You did everything you could in warning her of the possibly unwelcome situation she might find herself in if she stayed. You acted in her interests as best you could.”

“I suppose so. And in so doing, I may have helped the Sutton men to their own punishment.” Holmes shook his head and drew on his pipe. “You know I am no admirer of womankind, but even I can see that Miss Sutton is a rare and superior specimen of her type. She is certainly cast from a much finer mould than her male relatives, both mentally and morally.”

“Very true.”

“But they fail to see her real value, and so they shall lose the true treasure in their midst. Science may well be the better for it, but they shall be the poorer. A woman such as that should be prized far above rubies, or so the Proverb says.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted June 25, 2020

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1 originally posted June 12, 2020.


End file.
